Safety-stirrup.



No. 795,050. PATENTED JULY 18. 1905.

w. W. MARKLEY.

SAFETY STIRRUP.

APPLICATION Hum mm: 15.19o4.--

fiwentar: iii/127a 1/4 fiarilgy UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY-STIRRUP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 795,050, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed June 15,1904. Serial No. 212,613.

To all whom, it may concern: i

Be it known that I, WARREN W. MARK- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chalfont, county of Bucks, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safety-Stirrups, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in safety-stirrups, and has for its object to provide a stirrup which may be easily disengaged from the foot and also from the strap holding the stirrup by a pressure of the foot against one side of said stirrup; but

. as long as the foot is held upon the foot-rest the stirrup will remain in its normal position and answer all the requirements of an ordinary solid stirrup.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved stirrup, showing the same in its normal position; Fig. 2, an edge elevation of the stirrup in its normal position; Fig. 3, a front elevation of the stirrup, showing the same opened.

A represents what I will call the body portion of the stirru which body portion consists of the vertica side piece A, curved inward at its upper end, and the horizontal bottom iece A B is t e opposite side of the stirrup, which extends up vertically and is also curved inward toward the opposite side at its upper end. This side B is provided with a horizontal foot-rest G, and the side B is pivoted to the horizontal portion A of the body at the point B. Ears A extend upward from the part A to form a bearing for the pivot B.

D is a flat spring secured at one end to the 5 body portion, preferably within a notch at the junction of the parts A and A said junction being thickened or reinforced, and extends horizontally across the stirrup and is adapted to come in contact at its free end with the under side of a lug E, extending downward from the side B. The under face of the lug Eis flattened, so that the pressure of the spring against this flattened surface will tend to hold the side B in its normal position. Approximately centrally of and extending across the bottom piece A is a suitable strip H. The upper surface of said strip is above the upper plane of the bottom piece and is adapted to engage the flat spring D. By this arrangement additional pressure is given the spring, which greatly enhances the efficiency and operation of the device. At the upper end of the side A is pivoted the eye F, through which the strap to hold the stirrup is adapted to pass. The eye is open through one side, but is normally closed by the upper end B of the side B, this upper end B extending up vertically and being provided with the short dowel-pins G, which when the parts are in their normal position are adapted to enter cavities formed in the open end of the eye F. Thus when the parts are in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the supporting-strap passing through the eye F, said parts will be held in their normal position by the tension of the spring against the flat under surface of the lug E, and any pressure downward upon the foot-rest C will only tend to hold the parts more securely in their normal position; but if the rider should be thrown from the horse or the horse should stumble, so that is was necessary to quickly disengage the foot from the stirrup, any pressure exerted outward against the sides of the stirrup would tend to separate the eye F and the upper end of the side B, and as soon as the eye F is clear of the short dowel-pins G the eye F being pivoted would be tilted upward and allow the strap to easily pass from said eye and leave the stirrup free, and as soon as the side B has been opened a sufficient distance so that the outer lowermost corner of the lug E would pass the center the spring D then would exert a tension tending to throw the side B over back into the position shown in Fig. 3, this being the wellknown knife-spring device.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is In a safety-stirrup, a body portion composed of one side of the stirrup and a horizontal part forming the bottom of the stirrup, the junction between the side and bottom being reinforced and having a notch therein, ears formed on the free end of the bottom part, a movable part forming the opposite side of the stirrup, said movable part being pivoted at its lower end to the ears on the bottom part, a lug formed on the lower end of the movable part, and depending between the ears, a foot-rest formed with the movable part at its lower end and extending inward therefrom above the bottom part, a flat spring secured at one end within the notch at the junction of the side and bottom parts, the opposite end of the spring bearing against the depending lug on the movable part, a crosspiece on the bot tom part, the upper surface of said cross-piece extending above the upper plane of the bottom part and engaging the spring, an eye open at one end pivoted to the upper end of the body portion, said eye having recesses formed in its solid portion, and lugs formed on the upper end of the movable part adapted to engage the recesses of the eye.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WARREN W. MARKLEY.

Witnesses:

HARRY SCHMIDT, JoNAs MARKLEY. 

